Traversing yarn balloon control



Dec. 23, 1958 o. L. HOPE TRAVERSING YARN BALLooN CONTROL' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1956 m Ne EP Vo mH ..1 im W. dm E O M v.. B .o.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 23, 1958 O. L. HOPE TRAVERSING YARN BALLOON C ONTROL Filed July 5, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 DEVILLE 1 .,H0Pc- BY m1, MAMHME ATTORNEYS Dec. 23, 195s o. L. HOPE TRAVERSING YARN BLLGON CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 5. 1956 Dec. 23, 1958 o. L. HOPE TRAvERsING YARNBALLOON CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 5. 1956 INVENTOR: OQWLLE- L.. Hopf:-

BY im *l1-m' 4 ATTORNEYS Dec. 23, 1958 o. L. HOPE 2,355,162 v TRAVERSINGYARN BALLooN :oNTRoL Filed July 5, 1956 5 Sheets-Sl'xeelz--S` TVM Oxa/ILLE L.. ove,

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent() 2,865,162 TRAVERSINGA YARN BALLOON CONTROL Orville L. Hope, Gastonia, N. C., assigner to Textile Machinery Exchange Inc., Charlotte, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application .luly 5, 1956, Serial No. 596,066

16 Claims. (Cl. 57-110)V l This invention relates to the art of winding yarn on twistingmachines, spinning machines and the like and, more especially, to an improved means for controlling the extent of yarn or thread balloons as yarn passes from delivery rolls to bobbins mounted on rotating spindles to be wound thereon through the medium of a ring and traveler device. For convenience, the invention will be described hereinafter as being mounted on a twisting machine, lalthough the term twisting machine is to be considered a generic term to include other analogous machines, such as spinning machines, doubling machines or any other machines in which yarn or thread forms a balloon around and in spaced relation to a yarn package as the yarn is directed to or withdrawn from the package.

In the operation of certain types of twisting machines, yarn is directed from a source to each of a plurality of bobbins mounted on rotating spindles, by means of corresponding rings and travelers which rings are mounted on a vertically traversing ring rail. The yarn is directed to the ring and traveler through a suitable guide which is spaced above the corresponding spindles. Thus, the further the ring rail is away from the yarn guide, the greater the ballooning of the yarn. Also, as the ring rail is traversed relative to the bobbins, the median point of greatest ballooning of the yarn continually changes. Since the yarn or thread balloon whirls around the spindle, the balloon, when extended to its maximum, will strike against any obstruction it encounters, for example, against the balloons produced by adjacent spindles. For this reason it is customary to place partitions or separators between the spindles so that the balloon of each spindle is, in effect, housed in an enclosure closed on opposed sides and open at the front, rear, top and bottom. Thus, the ballooning yarn strikes the separators intermittently and, each time the balloon strikes the separators, the impact of the balloon against the separators has an abrasive effect on the yarn, and this also causes variations in the tension-controlling properties of the balloon. The repeated impacts of the balloon against the separators also frequently produces knots, slubs and other imperfections in the yarn.

Various attempts have been made to control or limit the balloon, in which various forms of balloon guards have been used. Rigid balloon guards have been mounted on, and in lixed relation to, moving members of the twisting machine; that is, the ring rail, so as to have the guard move up and down with the ring rail while protecting the balloon. Collapsible spring-like balloon guards have also been used which may or may not have been carried by a member movable relative to the spindle. In the former type of balloon guard, it has been necessary to bodily remove the guard when servicing operations were conducted on the spindle, and these types of balloon guards have Ialso been unsatisfactoryv because they move in fixed relation to the ring rail and, as a result, could not confine the balloon at the point of its greatest diameter throughout a substantial part of ICC the traverse of the ring rail. The collapsible spring-like balloon guards have been unsatisfactory in that they have been expensive to manufacture and have required expensive and complicated supporting and mounting devices and it has been necessary to release and collapse the spring-like balloon guards during the doldng and donning of bobbins or spools.

It is an Aobject of this invention to provide an improved balloon control method and apparatus which overcomes the above and other defects wherein a relatively thin balloon control or guard ring encircles each of the spindles of a twisting machine and yarn passes from a source through the control ring and to the twister ring and traveler and wherein means are provided to eiect relative movement between the ring rail and the balloon control ring so that, although the size of the balloon varies with up and down movement of the ring rail, the balloon control ring occupies a position at, or immediately adjacent to, the point of greatest diameter of the balloon.

It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus of 4the character described in which the balloon control ring is vertically adjustable relative to the means for raising and lowering the same so it may occupy an optimum position relative to the ring rail to accommodate yarn packages or bobbins of varying lengths.

It is still another object of this invention to provide apparatus of the character described in which the balloon guard rings are yieldably supported on the means for raising and lowering the guard rings so they may be manually lowered relative to the ring rail, when the ring rail occupies its lowermost position, to facilitate dofling and donning operations.

Various embodiments of the inventionV are disclosed herein and, in one form of the invention, the builder motion utilized for raising and lowering the ring rail relative to the spindles is used for raising and lowering the ballon guard rings relative to the ring rail; that is, the balloon guard rings are raised and lowered at the same time as the ring rail is raised and lowered, respectively, but at a slower rate and with a lesser stroke than that of the ring rail.

In another form of the invention, the balloon guard rings are yieldably supported by the corresponding ring rail so they move upwardly and downwardly in unison with the ring rail during the movement of the ring rail through a lower portion of its traverse. However, during movement of the ring rail through the upper portion of its traverse, the balloon guard rings are restrained from movement with the ring rail so the ring rail moves toward the balloon guard rings in the course of each upward movement and away from the balloon guard rings in the course of each downward movement. Means are also provided whereby the balloon guard rings may be lowered collectively or individually relative to the ring rail, by applying downward pressure to the balloon guard rings, to facilitate doling and donning operations and, also, means are provided whereby the balloon guard rings may be releasably latched in the latter lowered position to further facilitate the do'ng and donning operations.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which* s Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a twisting machine with one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto;

' Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 2--2 in Figure 1 and wherein the ring rail and corresponding balloon guard rings occupy lowered position;

Figure'3 is" a'view similar to Figure 2 wherein the ring rail occupies the same position as that of Figure 2 and showing the balloon guard ring latched in dofling and donning position;

Figure 4 is another view similar tto Figure 2 showing the ring rail and the balloon guard rings in raised position;

Figure 5 isan enlarged fragmentary plan view taken substantially along line 5 5 in Figure l;

Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to the respective Figures 2 and 4, wherein each balloon guard ring is individually movable to doliing and donning position while, in the structure shown in Figures l, 2, 3 and 4, all of the balloon guard rings are in fixed relationship and, thus, move to lowered or dofring and donning position simultaneously;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary isometric view looking outwardly from the center of the machine at the form of balloon guard ring mounting shown in Figures 6 and 7;

Figure 9 is an isometric View of a third form of invention in which the balloon guard rings are unitedly yieldably connected to the corresponding ring rail and are restrained from movement so the ring rail moves independently of the balloon guard rings in the upper portion of its traverse;

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 4, but showing the third form of the invention;

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 7, but showing a fourth form of the invention wherein the balloon guard rings are individually yieldably connected to the corresponding ring rail rather than being connected to a raising and lowering means separate from the rail;

Figure l2 is a fragmentary isometric view of the fourth form of the invention, being similar to Figure 9, but wherein the balloon guard rings are individually yieldably connected to the ring rail instead of being connected to a common frame member which is, in turn, yieldably connected to the ring rail as shown in Figure 9.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a iirst embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures l through 5 in association with a twisting or analogous machine. The twisting machine is of generally well known and conventional construction and comprises a frame broadly designated at 10 (Figure l). The frame 10 includes a stationary top beam or roll stand supporting beam 11 which is spaced above a stationary spindle rail 12. The spindle rail 12 carries in a series of spindles 13 which are driven to rotate by conventional driven belts 9 and which are adapted to support bobbins or other cores or carriers 14 on each of which yard Y is wound. Each strand of yarn Y is drawn from an individual source or package 15 and passes downwardly through the usual drafting or delivery rolls 16, through a central yarn guide 17 carried by the beam 11 and, thence, through a traveler 20 to the yarn package. Each traveler 20 is mounted on a conventional traveler-carrying ring 21 carried by a vertically reciprocable ring rail 22. Thus, the rings'and travelers serve as rotating and axially traversing yarn guides which cooperate with the corresponding fixed guides to form yarn balloons whose apexes are defined by the fixed central guides 17.

The vertical traversing movement of the ring rail is produced by a conventional builder motion comprising the usual driven cam 25 cooperating with a pitrnan roll 26 on a pivoted builder arm 27 provided with means for connecting one end of a pliable element or chain 30 thereto. The chain 30 extends upwardly from the builder arm 27, over an idler roll 31 suitably journaled on the frame ofthe machine and, thence, the chain passes to a rocker arm 32 secured to a rocker shaft 33. The foclier Shaft 33 journaled in brackets 35 depending from tl1e` spindle rails I12 at opposite sides of the machineL and also has a lifter arm or lever 36r fixed thereon. One end of the lever 36 6rlifter arm 36 has a roller 37 thereon which engages the'lower end of a ring rail lifter rod 40 which extends upwardly, loosely penetrates the anges of the spindle rail 12 and is connected to the ring rail 22.

Arms similar to the arm 36 are provided at various points along the frame to operate other lifter rods which unitedly support the ring rail 22. Only one of such other arms is shown and indicated at 36 and the various parts associated with the arm 36 shall bear the same reference characters as like parts associated with the lifter arm 36 to avoid repetitive description. The rocker arm 32 is connected with the rocker arm 32 by means of a link 41 and, in order to raise the ring rail with upward movement of the builder arm 27, the ends of the lifter arms or levers 36 remote from the respective rollers 37, 37 are provided with respective weights 42, 42.

The parts heretofore' described are usual parts of a twisting or analogous machine and it is with such or similar parts that the present invention is particularly' adapted to be associated.

Now, in order to control the extent of the balloon of the yarn Y as it travels from each thread guide 17 through the corresponding traveler 20 on each ring 21, a plurality of relatively thin balloon control or guard rings is provided above the ring rail 22, there being at least one of the balloon guard rings provided for each of the spindles; Each of the balloon guard rings is designated at 50. Each of the rings 50 is preferably made from a relatively thin rigid material such as metal or plastic and should be smooth so as to not detrimentally affect the yarn Y which, as shown in Figure l, passes from the corresponding thread guide through the guard ring 50 and through the traveler to the bobbin or core. In order to facilitate threading each strand of yarn Y through the corresponding balloon guard ring, each of the balloon guard rings 50 is provided with a slot 51 on one side thereof which extends at an angle to an imaginary line extending from the axis of the ring outwardly and which extends at an angle away from the direction of rotation of the spindles so the yarn Y moves in engagement with the inner surface of the balloon guard rin-g 50 and will not enter the threading slot 51 in the corresponding ring 50. Although a single control ring 50 is provided for each spindle, it is contemplated that two or more control rings may be used for each spindle. In the latter instance, the rings may be axially spaced and may or may not be interconnected, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Each of the balloon guard rings 50 is provided with an adjustment slot 52 in its rear portion which is penetrated by a screw 53 for securing each balloon guard ring 50 to a horizontally disposed and longitudinally extending guard ring or control ring support rail or bar 54, which bar is common to all the balloon guard rings 50 on the corresponding side of the machine. The guard ring support bar 54 is shown in the form of an angle bar and is fixed to the upper ends of posts or shafts 55 by means of corresponding projections 56 extending inwardly at spaced points from the guard ring support bar 54 and in which the upper ends of the posts 55 are secured. The posts 5S each extends downwardly inwardly of and past the ring rail 22 (Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5) and is connected to a bracket 60 which extends outwardly beneath the ring rail 22 and is fixed on the upper end of a balloon guard lifter rod 61 mounted for vertical sliding movement in the lianges of the spindle rail 12.

Each of the posts 55 may be connected to the corresponding bracket 60 by adjustably securing the post in the bracket by means of a set screw 62. Also, the set screw 62 may be loosened or removed from the bracket 60 and a collar" 63 may be adjustably secured on the lower portion of each p'os't 55 by means of a set screw 64. In` they latter instance, 'a compression spring' 65 is provided which encircles the corresponding post 55 an its upper and lower ends bear against the proximal surfaces of the projection 56 and the bracket 60. Thus, the compression springs 65 maintain the balloon 4guard rings 50 in raised position relative to the brackets 60 and upward movement of the balloon guard rings 50 relative to the brackets 60 is limited by engagement of the collars 63 lwith the lower surfaces of the brackets 60.

It is apparent that the collars 63 may be axially adjusted on the shafts or posts 55 to vary thev position normally occupied by the balloon guard rings 50 relative to the brackets 60. The lower ends of the balloon guard lifter rods 61, of which two are shown in Figure 1, each has a foot 67 fixed thereon whose lower surface bears against a follower or roller 70. The followers 70 are mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the corresponding lifter arms or levers 36, 36. To this end, each of the lifter arms or levers 36, 36' is provided with j a longitudinally extending adjustment slot 71 which is penetrated by a reduced portion 72 of the corresponding follower (Figures 2, 3 and 4) and is held in adjusted position by a nut 73 threaded onto the reduced threaded portion 72.

Now, it is apparent that the balloon guard rings 50 are vertically adjusted so they occupy the optimum point of greatest diameter of the balloon formed from each yarn Y, when the ring rail 22 occupies its lowermost position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. During operation of the machine, as the ring rail 22 commences upward movement at the rate imparted thereto by the lifter essaies levers 36, 36 and as controlled by the cam 25 and builder `arm 27, the portions of the lifter arms 36, 36 to which the followers 70 are connected also commence upward movement at the same time as the followers 37, 37' commence upward movement. However, since the arc of movement of the followers 37, 37 is greater than the are of movement of the corresponding followers 70, it is apparent that the lifter rods 61 and, consequently, the balloon guard rings 50 move upwardly with the ring rail 22, but at a slower rate of speed than that of the ring rail 22, so the ring rail 22 actually moves upwardly relative to the balloon guard rings 50 until the ring rail 22 and balloon guard rings 50 Voccupy substantially the position shown in Figure 4 as the ring rail reaches the limit of its upward stroke. This is an extremely important feature of the present method since it is apparent that, as the ring rail 22 moves upwardly the points of greatest diameter of ballooning also move upwardly therewith but at a slower rate than that of the ring rail 22 and, thus, the balloon guard rings 50 move upwardly substantially with the point of greatest diameter of the balloon, in each instance.

Of course, with each downward stroke of the ring rail 22, it is apparent that the ballon guard rings 50 also move downwardly with the ring rail 22, but at a slower rate than that of the ring rail 22, thus providing a simple and efficient means for controlling the balloon of the yarn at its point of greatest diameter throughout traversing movements of the ring rail 22. It should be noted that the extent and rate of vertical reciprocation of the control rings 50 may be varied relative to the rate and extent of traverse of ring rail 22 by adjusting the followers 70 relative to the axes of the lifter arms 36, 36'; i. e., longitudinally of the arms 36, 36.

It has been found that in the winding of yarn on bobbins or other cores of normal or relatively short length, balloon guard rings Si) are suiciently close to the ring rail 22, when the ring rail 22 is in lowered position, to permit the bobbins or cores 14 to be grasped by the operator for doing or donning operations. In this instance, the springs 65 could be `omitted and the lower portions or ends of the posts 55 may be securedto the brackets 60 by means of the set screws 62. However, it may be desirable to move the balloon guard rings 50 downwardly into closer proximity to the ring rail 22 6 than they are normally positioned when the ring rail 22 is in lowered position in order to facilitate the doing and donning operations. In this instance, the springs 65 and collar 63 (Figures 2, 3 and 4) would be utilized so the operator may merely force the balloon guard rings 50 downwardly to substantially the position shown in Figure 3 relative to the brackets 60 and ring rail 22. In order that the operator is not encumbered during the dotiing and donning operations, a suitable latch means is provided for releasably securing the balloon guard rings 50 in the lowered position shown in Figure 3. To this end, certain of the brackets 60 may each be provided with a pin or projection 7S on one side thereof which is adapted to be engaged by a hook member or latch 76 which extends upwardly and is pivotally connected, las at 77, to the ballon guard ring support bar 64. It will be observed in `Figure 3 that the lower end of the latch 76 is formed so that it will engage and be moved out of its normal vertical position by the corresponding pin 75 and will then swing inwardly and engage the pin 75 to maintain the balloon guard rings 50 in lowered position. When the operator has completed the doiing and donning operations, it is merely necessary to swing the latches 76 out of engagement with the pins 75 to permit the compression springs 65 to return the balloon guard rings 50 to raised or normal position relative to the brackets 60 as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

Second form Of the invention The second form of the invention is shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 and differs from the first form of the invention shown in Figures lthrough 5 only to the extent that each of the balloon guard rings may be moved downwardly to dofng Iand donning position independently of the others. Therefore, in order to avoid repetitive description, all of the parts shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 which are similar to parts shown in Figures l through 5 will bear the same reference characters with the small letter a affixed thereto.

It will be noted in Figures 6, 7 and 8 that, instead of the balloon guard rings 50a at each side of the machine being connected to a common support bar, such as bar 54 in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, the rear or inner portion of each of the balloon guard rings 50a is adjustably secured to a block or cuff member by means of its corresponding screw 53a. Each block 90 is fixed on the upper end of a separate post 55a which extends downwardly and loosely penetrates a bar 92, the bar 92 being common to all of the posts 55a at the corresponding side of the machine. The bar 92 is disposed below the level of the ring rail 22a and is fixed to the inner ends of the brackets 60a, the brackets 60a being similar to the brackets 60 of the first form of the invention and being raised and lowered by means identical to that used for raising and lowering the brackets 60 of the rst form of the invention.

It is thus seen that the balloon guard rings 50a move upwardly and downwardly with vertical traversing movement with the ring rail 22a, during operation of the machine, to function in substantially the same manner as that described with respect to the ring rail 22 and the balloon guard rings 50 of the irst form of the invention. The doing and'donning operations vare facilitated by forcing the individual balloon guard rings 50a downwardly relative to the others and relative to the bar 92 to substantially the broken line position shown in Figure 6 when the ring rail 22a occupies its lowermost position. The posts 55a may be keyed or otherwise restrained from rotation in the bar 92.

The individual mountings for the balloon guard rings 50a are particularly desirable when vertically traversing balloon guard rings of the present invention are used with apparatus so controlling the traversing movement of the ring rail that individual yarn packages may be doffed when illed independently of other yarn packages which may not be filled or, in other words, apparatus facilitating performance of the dofnn'g and donning operations at random, such as is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 577,722, filed April 12, 1956, and entitled Method and Means for Producing Tapered Yarn Packages.

Tlzird form of the invention The third form of the invention shown in Figures 9 and l differs from the rst and second forms of the invention in that the balloon guard rings are raised and lowered in unison with the ring rail during movement of the ring rail in the lower portion of its traverse and, while the ring rail moves through the upper portion of its traverse, the balloon guard rings remain stationary. Many of the parts shown in Figures 9 and 10 are identical to or substantially the same as parts shown in Figures l through and, accordingly, parts in Figures 9 and 10 will bear the same reference characters as similar parts in Figures l through 5 with the small letter b affixed thereto, in order to avoid repetitive description.

It will be noted that, in the third form of the invention shown in Figures 9 and l0, the balloon guard rings 50b are attached to the balloon guard ring support bar or rail 54h, which is common to all the balloon guard rings 50b at that particular side of the machine. However, instead of the supporting posts SSb being connected to brackets operated by lifter rods separate from lifter rods used for raising and lowering the ring rail `as is the case in the rst and second forms of the invention, it will be observed in Figures 9 and 10 that the posts 55h which support the bar S4b are mounted for vertical sliding movement in lcorresponding brackets 95 suitably secured to the inner edge of the ring rail 22b.

It follows, therefore, that the series of balloon guard rings 50b is yieldably supported by the ring rail 22b. vOf course, the collars 63h are each adjusted so the balloon guard rings 50b are disposed at a predetermined level above the ring rail 22b and so that, when the ring rail 22b is in its lowermost position, the balloon guard rings 50b are disposed at the level or point of the greatest diameter of the balloon of the yarn.

As the ring rail 22b moves upwardly from its lowermost position during the normal traversing of the ring rail 22b, the balloon guard rings 50b move upwardly in unison with the ring rail 22b until they are restrained from further upward movement by means of a suitable abutment which is shown in the form of a restraining bar 96 in Figures 9 and 10. Thereafter, with continued upward movement of the ring rail 22b, the ring rail moves relative to the balloon guard rings 50b so that, although the balloon guard rings 50b may initially move upwardly at a slightly faster rate than that of the widest point of ballooning, this is substantially compensated for by the subsequent stopping of upward movement of the balloon guard rings 50b so the point of greatest diameter of ballooning catches up" with the balloon guard rings 50b. Also, the abutment or restraining bar 96 prevents the balloon guard rings 50b from moving upwardly to where they would interfere with other parts of the machine spaced above the ring rail 22b, such `as the yarn guides 1712.

lt is apparent that, with each downward stroke of the ring rail 22b, the ring rail 22b moves away from the balloon guard rings 50b until the brackets 9S thereon engage the corresponding collars 63b on the posts 55b, whereupon the balloon guard rings 50b move downwardly in unison with the ring rail 22b. The restraining bar 96 may be fixed to the frame 10b by any suitable means. In this instance, bar 96 is fixed to the lower ends of spacing rods 97 fixed to and depending from thebeam 11b. u

The balloon guard rings 50b may be lowered to dofl'lng and donning position, closely adjacent the ring rail 22b when the latter occupies lowered position, to facilitate dong and donning of bobbins on the spindles 13b in the manner described with respect to the balloon guard rings 50 in Figure 3. It will be noted that the apparatus shown inV Figures 9 and l0 also includes suitable latch means for releasably securing the balloon guard rings 50b in dofng position. In this instance, each latch or hook member is indicated at a and is suitably frictionally secured to the corresponding projection Sb on the balloon guard ring support bar 50b. Each of the brackets 9S carried by ring rail 22b is also provided with a projection or pin b and, when the balloon guard rings 50b are moved to lowered or dofling position relative to the ring rail 22b, the latches a may be swung outwardly into engagement with the pins b to lock the balloon guard rings 50b in lowered position.

Fourth form of the invention A fourth form of the invention is shown in Figures 1l and l2 in which the balloon guard rings function in a manner identical to that described for the balloon guard rings 50b of the third form of the invention, with the exception that each of the balloon guard rings of' the fourth form of the invention may be moved to dofng position independently of the others substantially in the manner described with respect to the second form of the invention shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. Accordingly, the parts shown in Figures 1l and 12 which are substantially the same as parts shown in Figures 9 and l0 will bear Vthe same reference characters with the small letter c substituted for the small letter b, and those numerals in Figures 9 and l0 which do not have a suix letter applied thereto shall apply to like or similar parts in Figures 1l and l2 with the small letter c also being aixed thereto.

It will be noted that the fourth form of the invention (Figures ll and 12) differs from the third form of the invention (Figures 9 and 10) in that each of the balloon guard rings 50c is adjustably secured to a separate block or arm which extends inwardly and each of which is xed on the upper end of a separate post 55C. The lower portions of the posts 55C penetrate a common post guiding and supporting bar 102 which is suitably secured to the ring rail 22e. From the foregoing, it is apparent that the blocks 100 engage the restraining bar 96C in the course of movement of the ring rail 22C through the upper portion of its traversing movements and the guard rings'SUc move with the ring rail during the lower portions of the traversing movement of the ring rail. Since leach of the balloon guard rings 50c is individually yieldably supported by the ring rail 22C, individual balloon guard rings may be moved downwardly relative to the ring rail 22C for the dofng and donning of bobbins on individual spindles 13e Here again, an individual mounting for each balloon guard ring, as shown in Figures 1l and 12, is particularly applicable for use with builder motions of the character disclosed in said co-pending application. The posts 55C may be keyed or otherwise prevented from rotation in the bar 102.

It is thus seen that I have provided various embodiments of means for controlling the ballooning of yarn on a twisting or analogous machine in which a vertically traversing ring rail is used and wherein the balloon control means is in the form of balloon guard rings which move with and relative to the ring rail to thereby limit the extent of ballooning of the yarn at or closely adjacent the point at which the balloon would normally be of greatest diameter although such point constantly changes with traversing movement of the ring rail.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specic terms are employed, they are used in a generic `and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim: l

l. In a twisting machine having vertically disposed rotating spindles, a vertically traversing ring rail, a traveler- I carrying ring carried by the ring rail and encirclingl each spindle, a traveler on each ring and a yarn guide spaced above eachspindle for guiding a strand of yarn to each traveler in the form of a balloon, the combination of a balloon control ring encircling each spindle and through which each yarn extends in its course from the corresponding yarn guide to the corresponding traveler, means on the ring rail for resiliently supporting said balloon control rings, and means to limit upward movement of the balloon controlrings Witheach upward stroke of the ring rail whereby said resilient supporting means permit further upward movement of the ring rail relative to the balloon control rings and, upon each downward stroke of the ring railit will move a predetermined distance and the balloon control rings will then move downwardly with the ring rail.

2. In a twisting machine and the like having vertically disposed rotating spindles, a vertically traversing ring rail, a traveler-carrying ring carried by the ring rail and encircling each spindle, a traveler on each ring and a yarn guide spaced above each spindle for guiding a strand of yarn to each traveler in the form of a balloon, the combination of a balloon control ring substantially concertic with each spindle and through which each strand of yarn extends in its course from the corresponding yarn guide to the corresponding traveler, means on the ring rail for resiliently supporting each balloon control ring for vertical movement relative to the others, and means to limit upward movement of the balloon control rings with each upward stroke of the ring rail whereby said resilient supporting means permit further upward movement of the ring rail relative to the control rings and, upon each downward stroke of the ring rail, it will move a predetermined distance and the control rings will then move downwardly with the ring rail.

3. In a twisting machine having a vertically traversing ring rail, traveler-carrying rings on said ring rail, yarn receiving bobbins extending through said rings and wherein yarn forms a balloon above each ring during its travel; the combination therewith of balloon control rings substantially co-axially alined with and normally spaced substantially above the traveler-carrying rings and encircling the balloons, means to raise and lower the balloon control rings during corresponding movements of the ring rail, and means yieldably supporting said balloon control rings for movement relative tothe raising and lowering means and being so arranged as to'permit the balloon control rings to be moved downwardly relative to they ring rail for dofng.

4. A structure according to claim 3 in which said raising and lowering means comprises guide means carried,

by the ring rail, a plurality of posts guided for vertical movement in said guide means, and means connecting the balloon control rings to upper portions of the posts, and said means yieldably supporting said control rings comprises compression springs having corresponding ends engaging said guide means and their other ends engaging said connecting means.

5. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said connecting means includes a control-ring-supporting rail common to all said control rings and posts.

6. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said connecting means comprises a separate bracket to which each control ring is secured.

7. In a twisting machine having a vertically traversing ring rail, travelercarrying rings on said ring rail, yarn receiving bobbins extending through said rings and wherein yarn forms a balloon above each ring during its travel; the combination therewith of vertically movable rigid means movable substantially with said ring-rail, balloon control rings substantially co-axially alined with the traveler-carrying rings and encircling the balloons, yieldable means normally supporting said balloon control rings on said rigid -means and normally maintaining said balloon control rings in spaced relation above said ring rail, and saidyieldable means being sufficiently yieldable to permit the balloon control rings to be manually moved downwardly below said normal position and relative to the ring -rail when the latter occupies a lowered position for dotling.

8. A structure according to claim 7 wherein said rigid means is in the form of a substantially horizontal bar.

9. .A structure according to claim 7 having means to adjustably limit the extent to which the yieldable means normally maintains the control rings spaced above said ring rail.

l0. A structure according to claim 7 including means to releasably secure`the balloon control rings in lowered position to which they are moved relative to the ring rail for dofiing.

l1. A structure according to claim 8 having guide posts mounted for vertical movement in the bar and extending upwardly therefrom, a balloon control-ring-supporting rail common to a plurality of said balloon control rings and being secured to said posts, and said yieldable means comprising a compression spring surrounding each of said posts and normally maintaining the balloon control rings in predetermined spaced relation above said bar whereby, when the first-named ring rail occupies a lowered position, said balloon control rings may be moved downwardly in unison toward the first-named ring rail to facilitate doiing and donning operations.

l2. A structure according to claim 8 wherein a plurality of posts are mounted for vertical sliding movement in said bar, means connecting one of said balloon control rings to each of said posts whereby each balloon control ring is carried by a separate post, and said yieldablc means comprising a spring between said connecting means and the bar to normally maintain the corresponding balloon control rings in predetermined spaced 4relation above said bar whereby individual balloon control rings may be lowered relative to the bar and the ring rail to facilitate doing and donning operations.

13. A structure according to claim 8 having means on a lower portion of each post limiting upward movement of the posts as effected vby the corresponding spring.

14. A structure according to claim 13 wherein said means on a lower portion of each post comprises a collar adjustably secured on a lower portion of each post and normally engaging the lower surface of said bar to limit the extent to which the balloon control rings are maintained in spaced relation above said bar Aby said springs.

15. `In a twisting machine having a vertically traversing ring rail, traveler-carrying rings on the ring rail for guiding yarn to rotating bobbins and spindles and a central guide spaced above each bobbin for guiding yarn to the rings whereby a balloon is formed between each ring and its central guide; the combination therewith of a vertically reciprocable bar disposed adjacent the ring rail, means to raise and lower said bar during respective upward and downward movements of the ring rail, a plu rality of relative thin balloon control rings substantially co-axially alined with the traveler-carrying rings and through which the ballooning yarn passes, there being one of said balloon control rings for each traveler-carrying ring, means yieldably supporting the balloon control rings on `said bar and normally maintaining the control rings in spaced relation above the traveler-carrying rings, and said yieldable supporting means being sufficiently yieldable' to permit the balloon control rings to be manually forced downwardly toward the ring rail and in close proximity to facilitate doing and donning operations.

16. -In a twisting machine having a vertically traversing ring rail, traveler-carrying rings on the ring rail for guiding yarn to rotating bobbins and spindles, and a central guide spaced above each bobbin for guiding yarn to the rings whereby a balloon is formed between each ring and its centralguide; lthe combination therewith of a .vertically reciprocable bar disposed adjacent thefring rail,

means to raise and lower said bar during respective upward and downward movements of the ring rail, a plurality of relative thin balloon control rings substantially co-axially alined with the traveler-carrying rings and through which the ballooning yarn passes, there being one of said balloon control rings for each traveler-carrying ring, a plurality of posts mounted for vertical sliding movement in said vertically reciprocable bar, means connecting one of said balloon control rings to each of said posts whereby each balloon control ring is carried by a separate post, and a springr between the last-mentioned means and the yvertically reciprocable bar to norm-ally maintain the corresponding balloon control ring in prel2. determined spaced relation above said bar whereby individual ballon control rrings may be lower relative to the `vertically reciprocable bar and the ring rail to facilitate doing and donning operations.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 624,148 Allgood May 2, 1899 819,496 Allgood May 1, 1906 2,473,520 Gwaltney June 2l, 1949 2,747,360 vena May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 401,684 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1933 

